Creativity Empowered by Arts and Culture & Sustained Through PARTNERSHIPS

You and Your Organization Have The Right To Lobby To Ensure The Future of the Arts, Arts Education, and Culture

Every not-for-profit organization has the right to lobby political representatives at the city, county, state, and federal governmental levels on legislation that impacts its organization.Not only do organizations legally have this right, they should incorporate a "will lobby philosophy" throughout their organizations.In today's uncertain political environment, it's more important than ever for staff, directors, volunteers, and audience members of cultural organizations to know what the key political cultural issues are, the status of these issues, and what advocacy efforts are needed at various stages of the political process.

Don't Confuse Lobbying With Political Activities.

Lobbying and political activity is sometimes confused by not-for-profit cultural organizations.Congress enacted in 1976 legislation which gives 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organizations the right to influence the outcome of legislation (lobbying).The law actually encourages not-for-profits to lobby -- it's perfectly legal for your organization to work for the passage of legislation that furthers the cause of the arts and cultural community.

Lobbying For 501(c)(3) Organizations Under the Old and New Laws:

Under the New Law:The Tax Reform Act of 1976 set standards outlining what lobbying is legal without fear of losing one's not-for-profit tax status and being fined.The final federal regulations on lobbying appeared in the August 31, 1990, Federal Register.The nationally based Independent Sector, an organization dedicated to the not-for-profit community, recommends that 501(c)(3) organizations file under the new law, which it believes is easier to understand and protects the organization from the vagueness of the "substantial" rule used under the old law.

lTo come under the new law, an organization must elect to register with IRS and report annually its lobbying expenditures.Pick up IRS Form 5768 from your local IRS office, or call 1-800-829-1040 to request the form.

lUnder the new law, the law sets a spending limit for total lobbying expenditures.The cap varies according to the organization's budget, but cannot exceed $1 million annually.Grassroots-lobbying expenditures are limited to 25% of total lobbying expenses and cannot exceed $250,000 annually.

lDirect lobbying is defined as "any attempt to influence any legislation through communication with (1) any member or employee of a legislative body or (2) any government official or employee (other than a member of employee of a legislative body) who may participate in the formulation of the legislation, but only if the principal purpose of the communication is to influence legislation."A direct lobbying communication "refers to specific legislation and reflects a view on such legislation."Lobbying on referenda issues decided by voters is also considered direct lobbying.

lGrassroots lobbying is "any attempt to influence any legislation through an attempt to affect the opinions of the general public or any segment thereof."Grassroots-lobbying communication includes direct mail and telephone campaigns which refer to "specific legislation, reflects a view on such legislation, and encourages the recipient of the communication to take action with respect to such legislation."

lAn organization which exceeds the limits must pay an excise tax of 25% of its excess lobbying expenditures; and if it exceeds the limits over a four-year period, it may lose its tax-exempt status.

Under the Old Law:If an organization has not elected to register under the new lobbying law, it remains covered by the old law, which states an organization cannot spend more than a "substantial" amount on lobbying."Substantial" has not clearly been defined by the IRS.The general rule seems to be approximately 5% of your annual budget.Again, you might want to "elect" to register by completing the one-page IRS Form 5768, and be on the safe side of the law.

The Alliance appreciates the information provided for this section of the website by the American Arts Alliance; Independent Sector; and Bruce R. Hopkins, author of The Law of Tax-Exempt Organizations.

Political Activities Your Organization MAY DO:

The federal tax law does impose restrictions on political campaign activities by not-for-profit organizations, particularly those classified by the Internal Revenue Service as 501(c)(3), which includes most cultural institutions; however, your organization may:

lEducate political candidates on issues of concern to the arts and cultural community.

lFocus candidates' attentions on cultural issues by attending political events.

lArrange meetings to learn candidates' positions on arts and cultural issues; however, avoid stating your organization's position or commenting on the candidates' responses.All qualified candidates must be invited.

lInvite candidates to meetings of the organization to talk about the arts and cultural concerns.

lSend candidates literature on arts and cultural issues.

lGive, sell, trade, or lend lists of its members or subscribers to political candidates.Note, however, all candidates must be made aware that these lists are available to each of them.By choosing to give or lend your organization's mailing list to a candidate, it becomes a campaign contribution.In this case, your organization must receive something of fair value in return.If you sell or rent the list, please check with your organization's attorney about unrelated business income rules.

lPublish candidates' views or voting records on arts and cultural issues provided all candidates for a particular office are represented.When publishing this information, cultural institutions should avoid distributing the literature beyond their membership or close to election day.

Political Activities Your Organization MAY NOT DO,

Especially "During A Campaign":

lWork against or for candidates for public office.

lEndorse or oppose candidates for public office.

lCollect or distribute funds for political campaigns.

lUse facilities of not-for-profit organizations for political fund raising.

lPublish material that favors the views of one candidate over another.

The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) is primarily concerned with what an organization does "during a campaign," defined as the time when someone announces either by public statement or, in the absence of a statement, by filing notice with the election commission that he or she is a candidate for that office.The IRS may levy fines against the organization, and its staff and volunteers who knowingly make or approve political expenditures which are against the law.If your organization is unsure of the legality of any political activity, the Alliance recommends you get legal advice.

Access here Jay Dick from Americans for the Arts' Powerpoint presentation for what you can and cannot do regarding lobbying and policial activities.